


Healing Ways

by Evil_Little_Dog



Series: Superhero 'verse [4]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Community: fma_fic_contest, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-05
Updated: 2014-10-05
Packaged: 2018-02-20 01:07:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2409509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evil_Little_Dog/pseuds/Evil_Little_Dog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Summary: There has to be a way to reach Winry.<br/>Disclaimer: Hiromu owns all.  I just futz around with her characters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Healing Ways

The walls were made of a clear material, with holes in it to allow for air circulation. The floor and ceiling were padded, but there was no furniture within it. A woman paced across the floor, her shoulders stiff, her blond hair twitching with each stride. Alphonse Elric sat in one of the chairs outside the cell, reading aloud from a book that looked to be an ancient children’s book, with dog-eared pages and softened corners. 

“Is it working?” 

Alphonse marked his place in the book with his finger, turning to look up at his brother. It hurt to see Edward on crutches, bruised up as badly as he was, but at least he was alive. “So far, it hasn’t,” he said reluctantly. “I thought this would get her attention.” He flipped the book to show Edward the cover. 

He blinked, obviously recognizing it. “You probably should’ve been reading medical journals or something, not fairy tales.” 

Patting the book’s cover, Alphonse said, “We read this together as kids, don’t you remember?” When Edward shook his head, Alphonse sighed. “We did, and you always wanted to play dragon and the knight afterward.” Edward always insisted on being the dragon, with Alphonse and Winry as the knights – because Winry wouldn’t be a princess who might need to be rescued. Even after many arguments about how girls couldn’t be knights, which led to actual fights, and bruises, and tears, the brothers decided it was easier to let Winry be whatever she wanted. As long as Edward could be the dragon.

His expression cleared. “Okay, I remember.” Edward glanced away from Alphonse toward the cell. His hands fisted, the automail whining from the stress.

Sighing, Alphonse dropped his gaze back to the book. There had to be some way to get through to Winry. “Dr. Marcoh and Dr. Knox have been by. Dr. Marcoh suggested we put her in here,” he nodded at the cell, “since it was designed to hold Armstrong.”

Edward’s reaction was to growl something unintelligible. His focus was on Winry, and the way she paced back and forth in the cell. 

“They don’t know what the homunculi did to her,” Alphonse went on, not even sure if his brother was listening. “Maybe a mixture of drugs and,” he swallowed, “torture. Maybe hypnosis.”

The straining sounds from Edward’s automail grew louder, accompanied by teeth grinding against each other. Alphonse rubbed his forehead. “You’re going to break something, Ed.” 

“How could they do something like this to Winry?” he snapped, whirling on Alphonse. “She’s – she’s a healer. She makes things better. And they – those assholes – just – just!” Spinning again, he kicked a chair, sending it clattering against a wall. “Gah!” 

Alphonse set his hands on the book’s cover again. “Probably to hurt us.” He kept his voice low, not wanting to set off Edward any more than he had to. “They know how much she means to us, and they’re trying to take any advantage they can.” He took a breath, but it didn’t settle him as much as he wished it would. Winry in a cage was so wrong. That she didn’t seem to recognize them cut through his heart like a knife. “We’ll get her back, Ed,” he said, trying to calm his brother, not even sure if he’d get through to him, either. 

His answer was a black look, the automail whining louder. 

Alphonse barely noticed. “Ed,” he whispered. “Keep…keep doing that.” 

“What?” 

“Keep being angry!” 

“The fuck, Al?” Edward took a step closer. 

He used his chin to point at the cell. “Look.” 

Edward turned slowly, seeing what Alphonse already had, Winry her hands on the cell wall, her forehead pressed to the glass, staring at Edward’s arm. She frowned, something flickering in her eyes, a spark that Alphonse wanted to see ignite. Edward clenched his hands even tighter, making the hydraulics squeal. Winry’s glare shot up from his hand to his face, and she thumped her fist against the glass. 

“Ed,” Alphonse breathed. 

“Yeah, Al, I see.” Edward’s grin was that dangerous, cocky grin he got sometimes. “We just had to think outside the box to reach her.” 

“This might not do it, Ed.” Alphonse couldn’t help but warn. 

“I know, Al, but maybe.” His smile softened. “Maybe it’s a start.”


End file.
